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Lezard Valeth
Lezard is a recurring character in the Valkyrie Profile series. A secondary villain in Valkyrie Profile, he becomes the main antagonist in Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria. Personality He is an accomplished Alchemist as well as practitioner in the dark art of Necromancy. Behind his placid facade lies a mad genius who feels that all others are merely pawns to be played on his own handcrafted chessboard. Lezard is very intelligent, but also arrogant, scheming, unstable and extremely ambitious. His natural thirst for power and knowledge, coupled with his obsession with Lenneth lead him to devise the most machiavellian schemes to achieve both godhood and union with her, disregarding any consequences or collateral damage that may derive from his actions. Background/Storyline Valkyrie Profile Chapter 4 Lezard studied at the Flenceburg Magic Academy under Lorenta. However, she expelled him for unspecified reasons, possibly because of his ambitions or his interest in forbidden magic. He has accidentally glimpsed Lenneth in her true form on an unspecified occasion and has since become obsessed with her, yearning to find a means to make her his. Having somehow discovered the Philosopher's Stone, he has learned that elves are the vessels of the gods, and that Odin himself was originally a half-elf, his mortal blood allowing him to grow beyond other gods and thus become more powerful than them. Holed up in his tower, Lezard consequently runs experiments on live elves to attempt to create a homunculus: a half-elven body to trap Lenneth's soul in. Once he succeeds, he devises a plan to lure Lenneth to him. He kidnaps Lorenta's husband and forcibly gives him Ghoul Powder. Thus, when Lorenta arrives to rescue him, he begs for her to finish him off. However, as she is unable to, he transforms into a demon and kills her. Drawn by the demon's presence, Lenneth arrives at the tower and kills it, recruiting Lorenta in the process. She then proceeds to track Lezard down and is indignant about his reasons when she confronts him. Lezard is defeated in battle and flees, but not before hinting that there are secrets in Lenneth's past that she does not know about. As she explores his laboratory, she is shocked to discover the homunculi, which all look like her, and starts destroying them. However, one of the homunculi is a young girl, and as the image subconsciously reminds Lenneth of Platina, she spares it and leaves. Chapter 5 In the meantime, Mystina, one of Lorenta's former students, learns of her demise and suspects that Lezard is behind it, because of his expulsion from the Academy. An ambitious and powerful mage herself, Mystina owns a machine which allows her to use astral projection to roam where she will in spirit form. She does this to travel to Lezard's tower and is astonished by what she discovers. The Philosopher's Stone has apparently also allowed Lezard to rediscover long-lost runes that allow him to shift the entire tower in a different dimension, even though they are inactive at the time. Finally, Mystina finds the homunculus: as it is a young girl, she mistakenly assumes that Lezard has perverted tendencies and takes it with her, both as a form of blackmail and as an object of study. Her scheme works, and Lezard visits her that same evening to retrieve the homunculus. She questions him about Lorenta's death and his research; while he does not confirm or deny the former, he reveals that he has found the Philosopher's Stone and offers to compensate Mystina for the homunculus. She agrees to the deal and asks for information about Bifrost and Yggdrasil, which amuses Lezard, even though it does not surprise him, given Mystina's hunger for knowledge. When he tells her that Bifrost is located in the Forest of Spirits and guarded by elves, Mystina comments that they are too insular and would be better off dead. Lezard disagrees with this and proceeds to explain his discoveries about the gods and the elves, musing that if he were to transfer his own soul into the body of a half-elf, he would essentially be able to become a god as well. However, he then remarks that he has nowhere to store the homunculus for the time being and decides to leave it in Mystina's care a little longer. This is actually a ruse. By discovering his secrets, Mystina has become a threat to Lezard. The next time she uses astral projection, he returns to her lab and calls out to her spirit. Revealing his real objective - to capture Lenneth's soul - he then proceeds to freeze the machine which contains Mystina's body, essentially killing her, as she remains trapped in spirit form. Now wary of Lezard, Lenneth recruits her, even though she is unfit for Valhalla. However, Lezard then disappears without a trace for some time. Ending A If Ending A is triggered, Lenneth eventually unlocks the memories of her life as Platina by visiting the Weeping Lily Meadow after Lucian is killed by Loki. Sensing what has happened, Odin triggers the Sovereign's Rite, and Hrist takes over the Valkyrie's body. She attempts to recruit Arngrim and Mystina, neither of whom Lenneth was able to transfer to Asgard, to help her rescue Silmeria from Brahms, but they refuse, as they have become loyal to Lenneth. Hrist attacks them, but Lenneth soul, which has managed to resist the Rite, interposes itself to protect them and is damaged in the process. Reluctant to kill her sister, Hrist leaves. Lezard, however, chooses this time to reappear. He explains that he has rid himself of his body, as being in spirit form allows him greater freedom. He also urges Mystina to freeze Lenneth's soul in order to preserve it, but says that they need to recover her body as quickly as possible if they want to make her whole again. In the meantime, he proposes to temporarily store her soul in his homunculus. While Mystina is wary, since trapping Lenneth in a mortal body was Lezard's wish all along, they have no other choice, and she agrees to the scheme. The transfer appears to be effective, and the three then journey to Brahms Castle to confront Hrist. They fight and defeat her, successfully expelling her from the Valkyrie's body. Lenneth is made whole again and sets off to confront Loki, with no further attempts by Lezard to claim her. However, he appears to still be scheming something. Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria Unbeknownst to Lenneth, Lezard survives Ragnarok by using the power of the Philosopher's Stone, rather than be reborn when she revives the world during her battle with Loki. Still planning to entrap her, he puts in motion a much more complex plan, which involves him attaining godhood. Using the Time Machine in Dipan, he travels several hundred years in the past, to the time of Silmeria's rebellion. Posing as an apprentice, he manages to ingratiate himself with the Three Mages of Dipan and learn of their plans to use the Dragon Orb to free the country from Odin's rule. Chapter 2 When Alicia visits Dipan castle with Rufus and Dylan to try to ascertain King Barbarossa's intentions, the latter tries to have them imprisoned. As they are surrounded by guards, Lezard arrives to their rescue and teleports them safely out of the castle. He then introduces himself as the Mages' apprentice and reveals their scheme to create a closed timeline separate from Yggdrasil in order to free themselves from the gods. He also shows that he is aware of Silmeria's existence within Alicia, explaining that Dallas, Alicia's childhood friend, informed him of the situation. Silmeria allows him to join the group, requesting that he guide them to the Dragon Orb. She plans on having Alicia become the Guardian of the Orb, to prevent it from falling into either Barbarossa's or Odin's hands, as that would potentially endanger the whole of Midgard. As the party sets up camp after their escape, they discuss Silmeria's ability to read objects, and Rufus suggests that it may be used to read people's minds. Silmeria offers to try, but Rufus, Dylan and Lezard each refuse in turn, signalling that they all have something to hide. Chapter 3 Regardless of this fact, Lezard keeps a low profile for a long time. He mostly acts as an observer and a pacifying voice within the party. He first leads them to the Serdberg Mountain Ruins near Coriander, as the shrine is the last recorded resting place of the Orb. Once there, he explains that the tribe that guarded the Orb often moved it around for its protection, and that it may no longer be in the Ruins. He also explains that the Orb is the stabilizing force of Midgard. While the party rests inside, they encounter Leone and Arngrim, a duo of treasure hunting mercenaries, who offer to team up. Leone is, in reality, Hrist in disguise, sent by Odin to follow Silmeria to the Dragon Orb. Silmeria is aware of this, but remains silent, fearing a confrontation. After reaching the summit of the shrine and battling a guardian, the party finds the dais that was intended to house the Orb empty, and Silmeria uses her powers of object reading to determine where it has been removed. Lezard uses this occasion to reveal Silmeria's presence to their new recruits, much to Arngrim's surprise. Leone keeps up her disguise and asks to continue travelling with the group, as the Orb is rumoured to be surrounded with treasure. Silmeria, despite being aware that she is Hrist, avoids confrontation and allows her and Arngrim to remain. This almost leads to conflict with Dylan, but Lezard does his best to act as a mediator, and the situation is defused. However, he appears to be suspicious of Leone's identity and is subsequently seen watching her closely on several occasions. The group moves on to Audoula Temple on the Lake, where the scenario repeats itself: the dais intended for the Orb is empty, but, after battling the guardian, Rufus accidentally comes into contact with it. This knocks the Ring of Mylinn from his finger, causing him great pain until it is returned to him. When Lezard comments that the forcefield surrounding the dais should not be harmful to humans, Rufus is forced to reveal his identity as a half-elf and replacement vessel for Odin. He also explains that he has a personal stake in Silmeria's endeavour: defeating Odin might change his own destiny, something which Lezard encourages by saying that no fate is unalterable. The party moves on again, this time to Surts Volcano Caverns. Finding an empty dais here too, they also find the corpse of an adventurer next to it. Leone volunteers to bury him, seemingly out of sympathy for a fellow treasure hunter, and tells the others that she will catch up with them. In reality, however, she recruits the man as an Einherjar, when she believes that no one is watching. Suspicious of her motives, Lezard lags behind the rest of the party and witnesses the scene, although he keeps the information to himself. After visiting the Crawsus Forest Ruins, the group finally tracks the Orb down to the Palace of the Venerated Dragon. However, when Alicia attempts to retrieve it, Hrist reveals herself and claims it first. Shocked at discovering her true identity and indignant at having been deceived, Arngrim attacks her, only to be killed and forcibly recruited as an Einherjar. After Hrist leaves, Silmeria, who had known of her presence all along but had been afraid of the potential consequences of acting against her, apologizes for her inaction. Seeing Rufus' anger and Alicia's confusion, Lezard, ever conciliatory, reassures them that there was nothing they could have done, and that they should head back to Dipan to at least try to protect it from the gods' wrath. Chapter 4 It is during the visit to Dipan that Lezard puts his plans in motion. Alicia fails to stop her father's execution at Hrist's and Arngrim's hands, but the former allows her a reprieve. However, when Alicia sees that her mother, Queen Malabeth, has taken her life in grief, she attacks the Valkyrie. Walther and Gyne, two of the Three Mages, who have become Undead by ingesting Ghoul Powder in a bid to free themselves from the gods' grasp, and have been pretending to cooperate with Hrist, use the situation to their advantage. In the confusion of the battle, they cast the Sovereign's Rite, attempting to capture both Silmeria's and Hrist's souls for their own ends. This causes Dylan to release Brahms, who had been hiding within him, to neutralize them and attempt to protect Silmeria. Freya senses this and arrives to try to capture him, as Odin plans to use his soul to replace the Dragon Orb as a stabilizing power on Midgard. This is where Lezard intervenes. The original sequence of events had Silmeria pushing Brahms out of Freya's line of fire to become crystallized herself, whereupon an indignant Brahms fled with her to his castle, bringing about the situation we know of in Valkyrie Profile. Lezard, however, restrains Silmeria and vanishes with her, allowing Freya to crystallize Brahms. Suspicious of this turn of events, she returns to Asgard, with Hrist and Arngrim safely in tow, informing Odin that she felt a strange distortion during the Rite. Chapter 5 Rufus and Alicia, the only remaining members of the party, decide to challenge Odin on their own. After several ordeals, they manage to make it to the top of Yggdrasil, where Rufus hopes to attain the knowledge of the gods, so that he can face Odin on equal terms. However, Odin attacks them, fatally wounding Rufus in the process. Lezard, who has followed the pair by using astral projection and tapping into Silmeria's powers, chooses this moment to reveal himself, under the pretense of helping them, saying that he got separated from them after he teleported away from Dipan. They battle Odin once again, but Freya arrives to warn him that Lezard was the source of the distortion she felt in Dipan. Lezard neutralizes her and uses Odin's distraction to cast a spell on him. This has the effect of transferring Odin's soul into Rufus' body. Lezard then steals Gungnir and disappears with both his prizes. Chapter 6 Absorbing Odin's soul and using Silmeria's power in combination with the Three Mages' research, Lezard creates a pocket dimension which is separate from Yggdrasil, and thus does not follow the same laws as the other realms it upholds. He is the sole divinity in this new world and hopes that Lenneth, whose timeline has become destabilized by Silmeria's kidnapping, will come to her sister's rescue. Alicia, who has successsfully materialized Rufus' disembodied soul after the encounter with Odin, travels to the Hall of Valhalla, where she finds the Dragon Orb and Brahms' crystal near the Water Mirror. Hrist, who is anxious to stop Lezard and help her sister, appears to strike a bargain with them. Freya attempts to stop them, but Hrist uses the Orb to subdue her, and the party travels to Lezard's pocket dimension through the Mirror, cracking it in the process. Lenneth, newly arrived from her own timeline, waits for them there and explains Lezard's plans. They then team up and proceed to liberate Silmeria's soul from the homunculus Lezard had imprisoned it in. However, when they finally confront Lezard, he casts the Sovereign's Rite on all three Valkyries, steals Lenneth's soul - his objective from the very beginning - and escapes. Brahms manages to temporarily preserve both Hrist's and Silmeria's souls, but warns the others that they will dissipate if left unattended. Despite Rufus' objections, Alicia proposes to become the vessel for all three Valkyrie souls to merge into one once they free Lenneth, thus creating the one true Valkyrie, the only being powerful enough to challenge Lezard in his current, godlike state. At the very top of the Tower, Lezard is preparing to fuse Lenneth's soul with his own to become Lord of Creation, when the party arrives. They manage to retrieve the soul, and Alicia undergoes the transformation into Valkyrie. Infuriated, Lezard attacks once again but, this time, is defeated. Desperate, he stabs Valkyrie with Gungnir, only to realize that it seemingly has no effect. She tells him that he will pay with his soul for the crimes he has committed, and he dissipates, admitting his loss. However, the combined strain from the battle and the final wound she has sustained is too much for Alicia's body. She also dissipates, releasing the three Valkyries' souls and her own. With Lezard's power gone, the pocket dimension begins to seal itself off. However, the party managed to preserve a shard from the cracked Water Mirror to enable them to escape. Rufus goes back to Asgard with Gungnir, Arngrim becomes the new Guardian of the Dragon Orb, and Brahms, who is mortal in the pocket dimension due to its different laws, decides to stay behind to die. Battle Valkyrie Profile Lezard is the most powerful Sorcerer in the game. He is fought as a boss in his tower in Chapter 4, but is only present in the party for one fight in Ending A in the main game. You must visit the Seraphic Gate to fight him again and permanently recruit him. He comes with an impressive array of spells, only missing a few to be completely well-rounded (eg. Heal or Might Reinforce). His Familiar is a dragon. Initial Spells *'Dark Savior' *'Poison Blow' *'Stone Torch' *'Fire Lance' *'Prismatic Missile' *'Mystic Cross' *'Invoke Feather' *'Guard Reinforce' *'Dampen Magic' *'Shield Critical' Elemental Tolerance Purify Weird Soul As Lezard is a Sorcerer, his PWS will vary depending on his assigned attack spell and his weapon. He will either cast the same spell three times in a row or use Great Magic, if his staff has that property. He will laugh before using it. Traits *Egotistical *Narcissistic *Beautiful *Dense *Wise *Covetous Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria Lezard is a mediocre Sorcerer. He is focussed on attack magic, which is useful at the beginning of the game, but gradually becomes obsolete as it progresses. He has the least spells of his class and learns his support spells in a very disadvantageous order. He is notably the last Sorcerer to learn Might Reinforce, which is a significant handicap. Moreover, his Great Magic is one of the worst available. He will first join with a Ruby Mace, Cloak, Leather Glove and Suede Boots, but no initial skills. When he returns for the battle against Odin, he will have a unique set of equipment that only he can wear: a Monster Manifesto and Dark Cleric Robes. He will return with any skills you may have taught him during his time in the party and can be fought and permanently recruited in the Seraphic Gate. He is also fought in three different forms as the final boss of the game. Attack Magic *'Fire Storm' - Initial *'Poison Blow' - Level 7 *'Frigid Damsel' - Level 12 *'Lightning Bolt' - Level 23 *'Dark Saviour' - Level 30 *'Prismatic Missile' - Level 55 Menu Magic *'Thunder Storm' - Initial *'Guard Reinforce' - Level 10 *'Explosion' - Level 15 *'Earth Grave' - Level 18 *'Spell Reinforce' - Level 20 *'Invoke Feather' - Level 26 *'Dampen Magic' - Level 34 *'Spiritual Thorn' - Level 38 *'Chaotic Rune' - Level 40 *'Glacial Blizzard' - Level 43 *'Reflect Sorcery' - Level 47 *'Astral Maze' - Level 52 *'Might Reinforce' - Level 60 Does not learn: Heal, Normalize, Sap Power, Sap Guard Elemental Tolerance Soul Crush Lezard is a Fire Sorcerer. As such, he uses the Great Magic Animate Earth. He will say "Do you really think you can withstand my magic?" before using it. Bonus Items When Lezard leaves the party at the end of Chapter 4, you may receive various items based on his level. They will be automatically added to your inventory, along with whatever equipment he was wearing. *'Level 1-24:' Spell Potion *'Level 25-29:' Spell Potion, Expert's Experience *'Level 30-32:' Expert's Experience x2 *'Level 33-39:' Expert's Experience x2, Sorcerer's Savvy *'Level 40-44:' Expert's Experience, Sorcerer's Savvy, Philosopher's Pebble *'Level 45+:' Expert's Experience, Sorcerer's Savvy, Philosopher's Pebble, Homunculus Seed Recruitment Valkyrie Profile Lezard can be obtained in the Seraphic Gate, in Hard Mode only, as you need a Flame Jewel to access the room where he is located. Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria Lezard joins temporarily in Chapter 2 and leaves at the end of Chapter 4. He rejoins for one battle in Chapter 5. He will only rejoin permanently after being defeated on the 3rd floor of the Seraphic Gate. Etymology Lezard is the French word for "lizard" and may refer to his wily nature, as well as his resilience: he manages to get rid of his physical body and continue his schemes, much as a lizard can shed its tail and grow a new one. Valeth may be derived from "valet". A valet is a servant, but also often represented as duplicitous or a trickster figure in literature. This could symbolize the fact that Lezard is a secondary character with ulterior motives which ultimately have dramatic effects on the storyline. Trivia *Lezard is one of the two characters in the series to have a known last name. The other one is Gabriel Celeste. While "Valkyrie" may be used as a last name for the three Valkyrie sisters, it is more an indication of their function than an actual last name. *Lezard makes a cameo appearance in other tri-Ace games. In Star Ocean: Till the End of Time, he features as Roger S. Huxley's rival, a Menodix child (a humanoid race with beastlike traits, such as tails and cat ears). However, he has little importance in the story. He also appears in Lord of Vermillion and in Radiata Stories, as an optional boss. His monologue before the battle with the main character is actually the spell he recites during his first appearance in Valkyrie Profile. Moreover, the magician guild in the game is named after him. However, the spelling remains closer to his original Japanese name: "Vareth Magic Institute". *Lezard has occasionally been compared to Harry Potter, due primarily to the physical resemblance, the fact that he is a mage and his discovery of the Philosopher's Stone. It is not known whether this similarity is intentional. Valkyrie Profile *Lezard is voiced by the same person as Arngrim, Lawfer and Barbarossa. *Lezard's in-game sprite has a different colour scheme from his character art: black and purple instead of green and brown. *Early concept art of Lezard suggests that he was intially intented to be older. *Lezard's appearance in Radiata Stories is based on the costume he wears in this game. *It is unclear when or under what circumstances Lezard first saw Lenneth, nor how he discovered that Platina served as the host for her soul. *It is also unclear what exactly Lezard does to his body at the end of the game. Mystina suggests that he has killed himself, yet he was able to appear corporeal to the party members in Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria after travelling back in time, suggesting that he either had enough power to trick their perception, or that he somehow retrieved his body prior to travelling back in time. *During her recruitment sequence, Mystina mentions that Lezard has been able to temporarily displace his entire Tower into a different dimension with the help of runes. Considering that this occurs after his confrontation with Lenneth, it may be a first attempt at the scheme he orchestrates in Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria. Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria *Lezard's appearance in Lord of Vermillion is based on his appearance in this game. *Ironically, despite being an extremely powerful Sorcerer according to the storyline and contrary to his battle prowess in Valkyrie Profile, Lezard is mediocre in combat. This is similar to what happens to fellow recurring characters Arngrim and Brahms. *It is never explained how Alicia, Dylan and Rufus were able to escape Dipan castle after their first visit there in the original sequence of historical events, as Lezard was not there to teleport them out. *In the final battle against Lezard, Valkyrie is the only character who can deal full damage to him. However, if you manage to defeat him without using her, a young Lezard will appear during the ending sequence in Coriander, suggesting that he may have been reincarnated after all, despite the fact that Valkyrie states that he has paid for his crimes with his soul. However, considering that Valkyrie is intended to be used in the battle against him, this may simply be an Easter Egg for the curious player. *The consequences of Silmeria's kidnapping are one of the most controversial aspects of the game. Upon meeting the party in Lezard's tower, Lenneth states that she comes from a separate timeline. However, since it is separate, it remains unclear how Lezard's actions were able to destabilize it. *Lezard's lechery is the topic of a running joke in the Dog House cutscenes of the Seraphic Gate. Valkyrie Profile: Covenant of the Plume *Lezard does not appear in the game, but he is the author of the manuscripts received upon each completion of the Seraphic Gate, instead of the books of riddles and oracles from the previous two games. Among other things, he insults Hrist, fawns over Lenneth and encourages the player to give up trying to clear the Gate 10 times to go play Dragon Quest or Final Fantasy games instead. ---- See also: Lezard (Boss) Gallery Image:Vp-lezard2.jpg|Lezard character art (Valkyrie Profile) Image:Vp-lezard1.jpg|More Lezard character art (Valkyrie Profile) Image:Vp-lezard4.jpg|Lezard concept art (Valkyrie Profile) Image:Vp-lezard3.jpg|Lezard's expressions (Valkyrie Profile) Image:Vp-misc04.jpg|Lezard and Mystina as students Image:Vp-misc05.jpg|Lezard in his study (Valkyrie Profile) Image:Vps-lezard-valeth.jpg|Lezard character art (Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria) Image:Lezard intro.jpg|Lezard introduces himself in Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria Image:830px-00260235.jpg|Lezard in the Palace of the Venerated Dragon (Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria) Image:Lezard-lovermillion.jpg|Lezard's portrait in Lord of Vermillion Category:Character Category:Male Category:Sorcerer